Nazanine (Naz) Heydarian is an assistant professor of social work at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Legally blind, she describes failing her vision test at seventeen as the moment driving stopped being an option, a life-changing moment for anyone growing up in car dependent West Texas. As she grew older, this became more apparent, from the trust required to be a lifelong passenger to navigating new relationships. Now a mother of two young kids, she navigates by bike and canal path, on foot and local transit. However, Naz touches on challenges inherent in those options, from fitting both kids safely on her bike to the barrier of taking microtransit with kids who need a car seat.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nazanine Heydarian's story

02:08 Growing up blind and the realization about driving

04:08 Family dynamics and independence in mobility

06:25 Experiences with driving tests and legal blindness

08:27 Negotiating independence and family roles

10:53 Cycling with kids and adaptive biking solutions

12:42 Transportation infrastructure in the Rio Grande Valley

14:06 Challenges with public transit and car seats for kids

16:31 Walking to local amenities and neighborhood infrastructure

18:23 Family healthcare and community resources

19:19 Partner's role and relationship dynamics

30:24 The role of bikes and physical strength in mobility

39:31 Planning the bus pull for advocacy and awareness

40:45 The impact of community engagement and advocacy

Questions? email [email protected]

nondriver is a production of Nondrivers Alliance. More info: https://nondrivers.org

Hosted by Anna Zivarts and Devin Silvernail. This episode was produced by Devin Silvernail.

Pick up a copy of Anna's book When Driving is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. https://annazivarts.com/